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A manhunt is underway for a suspected gunman who walked into a nursery in Liverpool as parents dropped off their children for the day.

The man entered the Child's Play Nursery in Heathfield Road, Wavertree, with what appeared to be a firearm at around 8.10am.

He was apparently looking for another man, who is not a staff member at the nursery, in what police said was a "targeted" incident.

The alleged gunman approached a man and then left shortly afterwards on a motorbike together with a second man.

Police were carrying out forensic examinations at the scene of the nursery, which had 123 children aged between three months to five years on its roll at its latest Ofsted report.

House-to-house inquiries were being carried out in the area and high-visibility patrols have been stepped up to reassure the public.

Police remained at the scene on Wednesday afternoon. Credit: PA

We believe it was targeted and that the men were looking for a man who was in the nursery at the time who is not a member of staff.

I'm sure the vast majority of people in the community will be appalled to find that two men have walked into a nursery reportedly carrying a firearm when children and their parents were arriving at the start of the day.

– Detective Chief Inspector John Webster

Some parents appeared shocked and upset as they arrived to collect their children from the nursery.

One mother, who did not want to be named, said: "I was contacted by a couple of friends this morning who told me what had happened.

"I've been told someone entered with a firearm, but that's as much as I know.

"It does shake you up because they're saying it's a targeted attack so what if they come back?

"They think it was aimed at a parent dropping a child off."

The nursery remained open on Wednesday but a police cordon was in place and forensics officers were seen going into the building.

Police have urged anyone with information to contact them on their gun crime hotline on 0800 230 0600 or leave information anonymously with Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."